September 24. Story of the Day: Nanny-Goat in the Garden

This is from W. A. Clouston writing about "Cumulative Nursery Stories" in Notes and Queries, series 7, vol. 8 1889 (online at Hathi).

It is another example of ATU 2030 The old woman and her pig.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE NANNY-GOAT IN THE GARDEN

(illustration by Tenniel)

1. "Hilloa! Johnnie," says the master,
"Go chase me the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

2. Johnnie goes and returns not,
Nor chases the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

3. "Hilloa! Dog," says the master,
“Go bite me that Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

4. The Dog goes and returns not,
Nor bites our Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

5. “Ho! Whip,” says the master,
“Go thrash me that Doggie,
Who goes not to bite Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

6. The Whip goes and returns not,
Nor thrashes the Doggie,
That bites not our Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

7. “Ho! Fire," says the master,
“Go burn me that Whip there,
That goes not to thrash Doggie,
Who goes not to bite Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

8. The Fire goes and returns not,
Nor burns the Whip,
That thrashes not Doggie,
That bites not our Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

9. “Ho! Water," says the master,
"Go drown me that Fire,
That goes not to burn Whip,
That goes not to thrash Doggie,
Who goes not to bite Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

10 The Water goes and returns not,
Nor drowns the Fire,
That burns not the Whip,
That thrashes not Doggie,
That bites not our Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

11. "Ho! Ass," says the master,
"Go drink me that Water,
That goes not to drown Fire,
That goes not to burn Whip,
That goes not to thrash Doggie,
Who goes not to bite Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

12. The Ass goes and returns not,
Nor drinks the Water,
That drowns not the Fire,
That burns not the Whip,
That thrashes not Doggie,
That bites not our Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

13. “Ho! Sword," says the master,
“Go sabre me that Ass there,
Who goes not to drink Water,
That goes not to drown Fire,
That goes not to burn Whip,
That goes not to thrash Doggie,
Who goes not to bite Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden."

14. The Sword goes and returns not,
Nor sabres the Ass,
That drinks not the Water,
That drowns not the Fire,
That burns not the Whip,
That thrashes not Doggie,
That bites not our Johnnie,
Who chases not the Nanny,
That eats all our grapes
Down in the big garden.

15. “Then ‘tis I," says the master,
“That thither must hie me,”
And with a bound he is there.

So the Sword runs to sabre the Ass;
The Ass runs to drink the Water;
The Water runs to drown the Fire;
The Fire runs to burn the Whip;
The Whip runs to beat the Dog;
And the Dog runs to bite Johnnie;
And Johnnie chases the Nanny
That ate all the grape
And the master shuts the garden.


NOTES

Under the title of "Biquette dans le Jardin," M. Charles Marelle, Professor of French Literature in the University of Berlin, gives an interesting parallel to our "Old Woman and her Little Pig" in a small collection of oral variants of popular tales, French and foreign, but chiefly from Champagne, his native province, which begins thus:
"Hola! Jean," dit le maitre,
"Va m' chasser la biquette,
Qui mang' tout not' raisin,
La bas, dans l' grand jardin."